Linear damper

Abstract

A linear damper includes a conical housing with a friction cone in the housing and a rod extending therethrough and axially moveable relative thereto. The friction cone is axially moveable in the housing and radially expandable and contractible to provide clamping force against a rod when the rod is moved in one axial direction and to relieve clamping force from the rod when the rod is moved in the opposite axial direction.

1. A linear damper comprising:
 a damping assembly and a rod extending through said damping assembly, said damping assembly and said rod configured and arranged for relative axial movement therebetween, said damping assembly including a housing having a conical surface, said rod having a head and a base on opposite ends thereof, said rod extending completely through said housing such that said head is positioned on one side of said housing and said base is positioned on an opposite side of said housing, said head and said base being configured to prevent said rod from inadvertently moving out of said housing; 
 said damping assembly including a friction member therein disposed adjacent said rod, said friction member including an outer shell and an inner liner, said inner liner including a smooth inner surface for engagement against said rod, and said outer shell disposed to engage said conical surface of said housing, said outer shell and said inner liner having only a single axial slot from one end to the other end thereof, said slot having a width; 
 said friction member being moved by movement of said rod in one axial direction to provide clamping force against said rod such that said width of said slot only decreases as said rod moves in said one axial direction, and said friction member being moved by movement of said rod in an opposite axial direction to release clamping force applied against said rod such that said width of said slot increases; 
 wherein said friction member has an axial length less than an axial length of a space in said housing, and said friction member axially moves in said space in said housing, such that entire outer surface of said outer shell of said friction member remains in complete engagement with said conical surface of said housing as said friction member moves back and forth within said space. 
 
   
   
     2. The damper of  claim 1 , wherein said friction member is a conically shaped friction cone. 
   
   
     3. The damper of  claim 1 , said damping assembly having an axial opening receiving said rod slidably therethrough, and said head and said base being wider than said axial opening. 
   
   
     4. A linear damper comprising:
 a conical housing having a continuously uniform tapering sidewall portion; a friction cone disposed for axial movement in said housing against said continuously tapering sidewall portion, said friction cone having a shell and a liner in said shell, said liner including a smooth inner surface, said shell and said liner each having only a single axial slit therein from one end thereof to another end thereof; 
 a rod extending completely through said friction cone and said housing, said smooth inner surface of said liner being adjacent said rod for sliding engagement with said rod as said rod moves through said friction cone; 
 said single axially slits of said shell and said liner of said friction cone being expandable and contractible upon axial movement in said conical housing to apply and release clamping pressure against said rod when relative axial movement occurs between said rod and said housing; and 
 said friction cone being operatively associated with said conical housing and said rod to move within said conical housing upon relative axial movement between said rod and said conical housing, said friction cone moving between a first position engaging said rod for damping resistance upon relative axial movement between said rod and said housing in a first direction, and a second position of reduced damping engagement with said rod upon relative axial movement between said rod and said housing in an opposite direction, such that entire outer surface of said outer shell of said friction member remains in complete engagement with said conical surface of said housing as said friction member moves back and forth within said space. 
 
   
   
     5. The damper of  claim 4 , said slits being aligned one with the other. 
   
   
     6. The damper of  claim 4 , said liner being rubber. 
   
   
     7. A linear damper comprising:
 a damping assembly including a conical housing having a tapered inner sidewall defining a first opening at a narrowed end thereof and a cap at an end of said housing opposite said narrowed end, said cap defining a second axial opening therethrough; 
 a friction cone disposed within said conical housing and axially movable therein, entire outer surface of said friction cone configured to fully slidingly engage said conical housing at all times, said friction cone having only a single axial slit from one end thereof to the other end thereof, said axial slit having a width; 
 a rod extending completely through said housing, said cap and said friction cone in said housing, said rod being axially moveable relative to said friction cone and said conical housing, said friction cone configured to substantially surround said rod except for that portion of said friction cone having said single axial slit; and 
 a position of said friction cone in said conical housing being closer to said narrowed end of said conical housing upon relative axial movement between said rod and said housing in a first direction than upon relative axial movement between said rod and said housing in a second direction, such that said width of said axial slit is smaller when said friction cone is closer to said narrowed end of said conical housing as compared to said width of said axial slit when said friction cone is moved away from said narrowed end of said conical housing; 
 wherein said rod has a head and a base at opposite ends thereof, said head and said base being, respectively, wider than said first and second openings of said damping assembly so that said rod is prevented from undesirably moving completely out of said openings. 
 
   
   
     8. The linear damper of  claim 7 , said friction cone including a shell and a liner. 
   
   
     9. The linear damper of  claim 8 , said shell being plastic and said liner being rubber. 
   
   
     10. The linear damper of  claim 8 , said shell and said liner each having only a single axial slit therein, said axial slits being aligned so as to form said single axial slit of said friction cone. 
   
   
     11. The linear damper of  claim 10 , said shell being plastic and said liner being rubber.